Super Bowl LX

Boutte, according to Patriots beat writers and coaches, has functioned as Drake Maye’s favorite target, especially downfield, while A.J. Brown struggles to connect with Maye while dealing with consistent coverage from all-pro CB Christian Gonzalez. “If [Boutte] keeps this up, he’s either increasing his value on the trade market or playing his way into a meaningful role with the Pats,” Graff said. Boutte had been rumored as a trade candidate after the Patriots acquired Brown and Romeo Doubs this offseason. He should be drafted in all 12-team fantasy formats in the coming weeks.

It’s a concerning development since pass protection cost Henderson major snaps and reps during his disappointing 2025 rookie campaign. Graff said Henderson during training camp has “looked a bit like last season: big, explosive plays, but just enough mistakes in pass protection that it feels like a risk to use him on third downs.” Without serious improvement in his blocking, Henderson’s role likely won’t change all that much in 2026. Meanwhile, Rhamondre Stevenson, per Graff, “has done enough to keep the Patriots’ backfield workload at 50-50.” New England’s backfield is once again shaping up to be frustrating for fantasy purposes in 2026.

Jennings is good to go after an undisclosed injury sidelined him for the first week of training camp. The third-year back is expected to compete for RB3 duties this season.

PFF charts the Patriots’ use of tempo at just 2.4 percent last season, tying for dead last in the NFL. The league average was 6.27 percent and the Saints led the league at 19.2 percent. The Patriots averaged 64.6 offensive plays per game, just 0.28 above average. Playing faster leads to more plays, and more plays lead to more opportunities to score fantasy points. Hopefully, McDaniels’ preseason play-calling confirms his intended offensive change is being implemented.

The Patriots drafted Polk in the 2024 NFL Draft’s second round with the No. 37 overall pick after a successful college career at Washington. He caught just 12-of-31 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. He underwent two shoulder surgeries the following offseason and was sidelined for the entire 2025 season. The Patriots traded him to the Saints in a September pick swap that year. Today, the Saints placed him on the reserve/retired list. New Orleans Football’s Mike Triplett reports that Polk had participated all offseason, but was surprisingly absent last Friday.

In other words, he actually practiced on Saturday for the first time. Jacas missed the entire offseason activity program with a knee injury that prompted the Patriots to attach a waiver to his rookie contract. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports that Jacas was not yet participating in team drills. He’ll likely start the year buried on the depth chart barring some major steps in the next few weeks.

That apparently includes in both pad-less and padded practices. Henderson does add the same was true last summer before the then No. 50 overall pick went on to have a quiet rookie year. Arroyo dealt with knee issues after they were a red flag during his pre-draft process. Drafted in part to be an after-the-catch weapon, Arroyo could be left fighting for designed touches to begin the season. He is comfortably behind AJ Barner on both the depth chart and in average draft position. We’ll let you know if he keeps lighting up camp.

The Seahawks shut Horton down after trading for WR Rashid Shaheed last year, citing a new shin injury. The trade came as a surprise. He and Shaheed possess similar skill sets, and Horton had already set two franchise records, so replacing him in the lineup due to poor play did not add up. Apparently, Horton played through discomfort in his shin for five games until the pain led to imaging, revealing a crack in his shin. Horton attempted to avoid surgery, but it was ultimately deemed necessary in February 2026, delaying his return. Bell adds that the coaching staff is “excited and curious to unleash” Horton and Shaheed in the same formations, “challenging the deep coverage of defenses.” Stressing the defense vertically should open up the short-to-intermediate areas of the field as well. Shaheed will likely be the more reliable boom-bust FLEX and could even ascend to WR3 status, but it is nice to know that the coaching staff still views Horton positively after the surprising in-season trade last year.

Larison, 24, was a 2025 undrafted free agent. He is apparently competing for a role as a kick returner as well as the backup rushing role. He will need to contribute on special teams if he is going to make the final roster. Lazar notes that rookie RBs Jam Miller and Myles Montgomery “have flashed explosiveness and lateral quickness,” and he thinks one or both could make a “push” after showing off burst in the outside zone scheme that the Patriots have been working on.

The report comes from team reporter Evan Lazar and is great to hear. Henry, 31, is entering the final year of his contract. The front office spent a third-round pick on Raridon, ostensibly hoping he would convince them that he can be the TE1 after this season. In many instances, that means late-season utilization. The fact that he is already competing for the TE2 role, and doing so impressively, can only be viewed as a positive. Per Lazar, Raridon “caught the eye on multiple occasions working in the passing game.” He showcased the requisite speed to get behind the second level, and his “ability to catch the ball in traffic” stands out. Raridon can be treated as a best ball TE3 at this time.